Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY, cilt.279, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
This study investigated the role of biofilms formed on different mesoplastics (Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), and Polystyrene (PS)) in the accumulation of contaminants in a laboratory model system simulating estuarine conditions. Also, the biofilm penetration of the primary pollutants (pharmaceuticals, total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), etc.), their persistence in biofilm, and their impact on the total microbial population were examined. Results showed that biofilm formation occurred on all the mesoplastic samples over six-month period. The biofilm on PP exhibited the highest cell count of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria (AHB) (8.7 & times; 106 cfu/cm2) by the end of the exposure period. In terms of pollutant concentrations, the biofilm on PE recorded the highest levels of gemfibrozil (GFZ), measuring 2.2 mu g/cm2 during the experiment. Moreover, the biofilm formed on PP demonstrated the peak values for TPH accumulation, recorded at 57.1 mu g/cm2. These findings indicate that mesoplastics serve as passive samplers, providing surfaces conducive to microbial colonization and thereby enhancing the accumulation and retention of pollutants from the surrounding aquatic environment within biofilms. Therefore, a comprehensive assessment of plastic pollution in marine ecosystems must incorporate considerations of the biological activity and interactions of plastics with environmental contaminants to fully understand their ecological impact.